The scriptures are nicely provided, you might say, are "Proof Texts" that allow the Believers to check things out and 'make sure of all things.' But I ALWAYS tell people to just read the entire Chapter to get the true, full flavor, gist, meaning of that scripture and verse. Compared to all the TV we watch every day -- this personal time is precious !! Just think: If we all spent just ONE HOUR ever day in the Word [that means the Bible], how smart and knowledgeable we'd be !!
Considering all the 'News' we intake daily about the various scandals, corruption and dark view of the near future, with financial upset and economic melt down --we ought to be HAPPY and joyful with the firm prospect of everlasting life in heaven with the Lord, with new special "powers" given us by the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am NOT a "Chicken Little" with 'the sky is falling...' but I am old enough and wise enough to see the 'Hand writing on the Wall' and all the "Signs." The average KING JAMES BIBLE readability is grade level 5.63, -- from the Flesch-Kincaid grade level. Please see: biblefortoday.org
I know that I 'force-feed this constant Mantra often' dear Friends and Readers, but most of the Millions of Bible scholars and REAL Christians in my camp believe that the Rapture COULD well come any time now... not that we think we know that date-- for only the Father knows that! If some one reads and believes the truth of the Bible from one or more of my humble Blog posts -- I should rejoice and give all thanks to God, that He used me as His "tool !" Hey-- I get weary, 'blue' and depressed sometimes, and part of that is due to my combat PTSD. But all the bad, devilish things, violence, and loss of our Freedoms, do get me down, and I need to get 'built up' again -- so I have my "system" that usually works for me, and I will share it with any of you if you ask me. email: tschuckman@aol.com
I will never have 'too many friends in this world' and I actively search out new Believing friends all the time... but beware of FaceBook, please, because some say it is heavily surveyed, and watched by the Gov't, etc., "Big Brother." Who knows that the Gov't might use such web sites to 'collect us and put us in 'FEMA Camps' for "re-education" or beheading...' Although, beheading is a better, faster way to go and meet Jesus, IMHO.... not to get too graphic or gross, sorry, mates. Having served in the Vietnam War for two years: 68-70, I know that the VC used much worse ways to torture and murder.... sorry, again. We HAD TO GET MEANER and tougher to beat the enemy, and we DID !! And then finally coming back into the 'World' -- what we nick-named the USA, after a year of two of hard combat and hard life, we found a soft, Socialist nation of totally ignorant, misled, Hippie goo-goo's and pot heads, who would never understand anything we told them -- and so we didn't ! We had to learn fast, how to suck it up and live in a 'special world' known only to ourselves. That's why Vietnam Veterans love, hug, respect and defend each other so much [because we only have each other for help and to talk to-- our own "language"]-- because hardly no one gave a hoot in hell weather we lived or died, anyway, and we usually got the dirty end of the stick from the VA, the corrupt, lying Gov't and many others. Sorry for the rant, again.... LOL, but at least I touched the hearts of a few Veterans out there. But a gentle warning: Please BEWARD of any VA programs that are solicited for helping Veterans.... 'Big Brother', again. Shhhhhhh.
But 'Paradise and Torments' is a great info piece that WILL affect each and every one of us -- whether you choose to believe it -- or not ! Enjoy !! Although I [Tom Schuckman] AM SAVED, and know for a fact that the Bible tells me that I am going to heaven, I have done nothing to really deserve this great Gift from the Father-- except that I HAVE "accepted" His Son, Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior !! But I still feel the need to read, study and know the Bible much, much better-- to 'know the mind of God and Christ' so as to keep His ways and Christian commandments/ wishes/ desires. That is important, because: "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw night to you." ~James 4:8. When the 'Perfect Storm' finally comes, I figure that I will need every scrap of power and strength that can be had !!
Warm Regards,
Tommy Schuckman
And a special 'Hey, to Dave M' -- my friend and buddy. God bless you and your wife, Dave !
Paradise And Torments
As I understand it when we die our spirits leave our physical bodies and go to either heaven or hell. When the ‘end of the days’ occurs we will get resurrected bodies. So this means, in the interim period, that we have no bodies in heaven/hell, just a spirit?
Q. As I understand it when we die (and this includes all who have died before now) our spirit leaves our physical bodies and goes to either heaven or hell.
When the ‘end of the days’ occurs we will get resurrected bodies. So this means, in the interim period, that we have no bodies in heaven/hell, just a spirit?
Also the bible talks about the ‘great white throne judgment’, for non-believers and the ‘bema seat’ judgment for believers, and the bible appears to state that these judgments also occur at the ‘end of days’. So does this mean that people who have already died (e.g. Hitler) who would appear to going straight to hell, are not there yet?
Also, on a similar matter, what are your views on people who have’ died’ and ‘gone to heaven’ then been revived? My view is that once their spirit actually leaves their bodies then they’re dead and will stay that way (unless God supernaturally revives them). So maybe what these people ‘see’ is some sort of vision, similar to those that Paul and John saw, rather than actually ‘going to heaven? After all, they haven’t been judged yet?
A. This has been a very popular question. Here’s everything I know about it.
Before the cross no one could enter Heaven because the Lord’s blood had not yet made atonement for our sins. Both believers and unbelievers went to Sheol (Hebrew) called Hades in Greek. The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) gives us the details on how believers were comforted there by Abraham while unbelievers suffered in torment a short distance away.
The pleasant side of Sheol became known as Paradise, or Abraham’s Bosom, while the other side is called Torments. When Jesus died He went to Paradise (Luke 23:43) and upon His resurrection took all the believers with him into heaven. (Matt. 27:52-53)
Since then when believers die their spirits go to heaven to be with the Lord. (2 Cor 5:8) Church age believers receive resurrection bodies at the Rapture of the Church. (1 Cor. 15:51-52) Old Testament believers receive theirs at the end of the Great Tribulation (Daniel 12:2) In the interim they all exist in spiritual form only. (Unbelievers still go to Hades where they’re held in torment.)
The Bema Seat judgment is for the Church and occurs right after the rapture. (1 Cor. 3-4) The faithful of Israel are judged at the 2nd Coming. (Matt. 19:28) The Great White Throne judgment is for unbelievers of all ages and occurs at the end of the Millennium. (Rev. 20:11-15). All unbelievers are in torment now awaiting their final judgment.
I think that so-called NDE’s or near death experiences are just that. Near Death experiences. They haven’t died and come back to life but have come very close to dying. Hebrews 9:27 says that it’s appointed for man to die but once and after that to face judgment.
Related Posts:
- Where Are The Dead Unbelievers?
- What Is A Resurrection?
- Bringing Them Up To Send Them Back?
- What About People In Hell?
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Rapture Before Anti-Christ?
Q. Since I teach an adult Sunday School class, I am very diligent about accuracy. Here’s my question. In 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, Paul answers a very deep concern of the believers there. When he states that the Day of the Lord will not come “unless the apostasy comes first and the man of sin is revealed” is Paul implying that they would see the man of sin or will they (we) be taken in the Rapture beforehand? My observations are that apostasy is now rampant and easily observed. Why is it not reasonable that will we also see the anti-Christ identified before the Rapture?
A. In 2 Thes. 2:7 Paul clarified his statement of 2 Thes. 2:3. He said;
”For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.”
Most evangelical scholars interpret the one who holds back the secret power of lawlessness as being the Holy Spirit, resident in the Church. The idea is that first the Church will be raptured and later the anti-Christ will be revealed and then the Day of the Lord will commence. This order of events is consistent with Paul’s other statements that Jesus will rescue the Church from the coming wrath (Romans 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10). In both these verses, the Greek word translated “from” pertains to both the time and place of the wrath and describes the rapture.
A. In 2 Thes. 2:7 Paul clarified his statement of 2 Thes. 2:3. He said;
”For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.”
Most evangelical scholars interpret the one who holds back the secret power of lawlessness as being the Holy Spirit, resident in the Church. The idea is that first the Church will be raptured and later the anti-Christ will be revealed and then the Day of the Lord will commence. This order of events is consistent with Paul’s other statements that Jesus will rescue the Church from the coming wrath (Romans 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10). In both these verses, the Greek word translated “from” pertains to both the time and place of the wrath and describes the rapture.
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